Rapid Prototyping Averts Delay in Product Launch

Posted on December 31, 2016

Background

Our customer, a major company in the medical device industry, had designed a very high-density flex circuit for its next-generation ultrasound probe to enable real-time data acquisition of 3D volumes and eliminate the need for a mechanical-type probe. The goal was to significantly increase the frame rate to improve imaging of the fetal heart (120-160 beats per second).

Services & Solutions

Prior to becoming a MicroConnex customer, this company was working with a different provider, which was experiencing quality issues and struggling to deliver working flexible printed circuits in a reasonable time frame. Late in the development cycle and facing a potential one-year delay in the product launch date, the company discovered MicroConnex. We took the lead and produced working prototypes within three weeks. What amazed our customer was both our rapid prototyping of a highly complex (4-metal layer) design and our ability to meet flex circuit performance and quality requirements on our first try!

Results

We complied with the customer’s supplier-change control process by expanding our facility to meet the high quantity demands. Our delivery of several hundred complex flex circuits on time and within budget enabled our customer to meet its product launch date. We followed the initial prototype builds with production parts for the life of the program.